MPAA approves "military strength" encryption for video streaming

The MPAA has approved the use of DreamSteam "military strength" 2048-bit encryption to protect online video streaming content in an effort to stop the unauthorized downloads of the content.

"We are very excited to have the MPAA stand behind our technology," said Ulf Diebel, chief development officer for DreamStream. "The MPAA understands the need to be proactive - rather than reactive -- in addressing the chokehold that piracy has on the motion picture industry. Their recommendation is not something that Hollywood will take lightly."

Since being introduced to the system in March of this year, the MPAA has been reviewing the technology and has finally decided that it is a viable system for securing online content.

"We are very excited about our breakthrough technology. For the first time, digital content can be distributed without fear of piracy. By making it possible for studios and other copyright holders to secure their content, we can make it impossible for movies to be digitally pirated,"said Diebel. "DreamStream can restore property rights to their owners and restore the commercial success of music and video recordings with a solution that benefits both producers and consumers."

As with all digital content, online media, including streaming, has fallen prey to piracy, but DreamSteam now feels they have the solution.

"The existing systems are broken," said Diebel. "If studios and artists want to confront the problem of piracy they must embrace a comprehensive restructuring of their distribution methods."

DreamSteam also says its media system gives users instant access to HD-quality content, including no processing delays. The technology also offers encryption never before seen for streaming content. Current systems use 128 bit encryption whereas DS uses 2048-bit encryption, and is considered military grade.

The company says its encryption has never been compromised by hackers or pirates. "Pirates are not just found in the movies anymore. Today’s pirate is a twelve-year-old sitting on a couch in Hong Kong. Or, worse yet, an unmanned fleet of Xbox’s all aimed at your server. Hacker attempts are no longer measured in how many per day but how many per second. It is just a matter of time until the pirate comes aboard your ship and breaks into the treasure chest. Unless they cannot see the ship. With DreamStream, your digital information is invisible. Your treasure chest is secured, and the key to it is encrypted with a 2048 bit encryption. Yes, a true digital fortress. A fortress that fits on a very small chip or hard drive!," reads DS' website.

"To win the war on piracy, the studios need DreamStream's military grade capabilities," concluded Diebel.

This like anything will be cracked hacked and jacked around until there nothing you can do. If it is digital and can be decrypted by someone it can be hacked. It doesn't matter what it is. If it is a delivery method that is secure then it cannot. But once there is a set technology to decrypt it you are done. Lets put it this way, the military can encrypt it anyway they want but once they give the decoder ring to enough people it is no longer encrypted.

DVD or FILE makes no difference. If it's encrypted and available it can be decrypted. Nothing is invisible.

Originally posted by BorgMyst: This like anything will be cracked hacked and jacked around until there nothing you can do. If it is digital and can be decrypted by someone it can be hacked. It doesn't matter what it is. If it is a delivery method that is secure then it cannot. But once there is a set technology to decrypt it you are done. Lets put it this way, the military can encrypt it anyway they want but once they give the decoder ring to enough people it is no longer encrypted.

DVD or FILE makes no difference. If it's encrypted and available it can be decrypted. Nothing is invisible.

I agree, remember "RipGuard", millions was spent on it and it was cracked by SlySoft the very next day. When are they going to realise the war on piracy has already been won?

If it can be played, it can be copied. It's not like the previous 128-bit encryption was faulty; a brute force attack would still take forever. It's just that there were other tricks that allowed you to figure out the encryption key without having to attack the encryption itself. This will be no different. Remember how Blu-ray was supposed to be uncrackable? How did that turn out?

This DreamStream group is just arrogant if they think this won't be cracked.

Encryption is the encapsulation of a stream of data being transmitted. Cell signals are encrypted, wireless is encrypted. The downloaded movie (the 'end result') will have to be decrypted sometime to watch and it is THEN that exploits are initiated.

Besides...........even if this is a "fortress", like other wars, battles both metaphorically and literally, some pissed off insider who's been paid off will leak this like drunk man at a tree after 13 brews sayin' "See ya', wouldn't wanna PEE ya'" HA HA HA

Quote:Your treasure chest is secured, and the key to it is encrypted with a 2048 bit encryption. Yes, a true digital fortress. A fortress that fits on a very small chip or hard drive!," reads DS' website.

Ha you know they are sittin there thinkin "hmm what can we put on this dvd to try to protect it now.." and they go and spend millions only to get their decryption cracked by some bored teens almost before its even released...

If you can see it and hear it.. you can copy it. When will they learn/

Now thats been said, what do you guys think would happen? If someone steals 1 of your 1000 BMWS (you really like your BMWs) are you going to just sit there and let someone else still the other 999? No, you're going to protect them.

The reason for encrypting these video streams isn't JUST to prevent pirating, its to prevent hacking into digital theatres. Think about it. Within the next 5-10 years, all movies will be delivered to your local movie theatre via a download link to the distribution companies. This will allow them to 'stream' the movies to the theatres w/o someone stealing it during transit.

also for those that believe it'll be easily crackable (everything is at one point or another), that kind of encryption would require a user to download a program from DreamStream, which I bet is program that requires a live account similar to Steam. Which means they'll update/ban those who attempt to still the content.

Now saying all that, I think the prices for dvds/movie theatres in general are ridiculas. on average, AMC theatres charge about $8.50 for an adult ticket. IMO, for how much it costs to produce a movie now a days, it doesn't justify it. Movie pre/post production costs have dropped dramatically over the past 20 years (with the avent of digital editing on computers)

I'll be the first to admit that I haven't been honest with my media library, but I can't blame mpaa for wanting better encryption.

An anteater's vagina? <scratches head> There are people who actually think about the sex lives of anteaters? Is this some new flavor of porn I've never heard of...

On the serious tip...

The only logical thing to do is change the laws so that consumers have an explicit legal right to make up back up copies of movies, music, games, et al (curiously, a Federal judge has already ruled that copies made with software like AnyDVD are legal; only the software used to make them is verboten).

Then watermark each and every DVD or CD or digital stream. Then if a copy is used to make a batch of counterfeits, it'll be far easier to trace.

In other words: target the REAL bad guys and quit trying to make law-abiding customers lives miserable by adding ever more layers of protection that benefit no one but the snake oil salesmen peddling it (and at least the snake oil dudes were nice enough to enough grain alcohol in their concotions so at least you'd cop a buzz...)

The US government learned a long time ago that its not so much the encryption technology--as pointed out; it's always a matter of time until brilliant cryptanalysts break it or disgruntled employees (or subcontractors) sell the decryption key or the encryption algorithm itself. Why do you think the Soviets (and now the Russians, the Chinese, the French, even the Israelis) spent/d so much money bribing (or blackmailing) Americans with security clearances & trade secrets? I.e. the people with the access.

Because it's far easier to pay off a crook to hand you the golden ticket than it is to employee legions of cryptanalysts and/or hackers on massively expensive supercomputer to crack the "protection" systems.

One crooked person and even content with a gigabyte-length key set is worth as much as a Masterlock: next to nothing.

You have to limit access to the information for any system to even approach being "secure." All encryption systems are broken or circumvented eventually.

Therefore, the idea of "protecting" a movie or video game that (the content "owner" hopes will sell in the millions or tens of millions) is at odds with the very concept of encryption.